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BERMUDA | RSS PODCAST

BIU: ‘no dispute’ in postal route stoppage

Postal deliveries have been halted for two Southampton routes while a dispute with the Bermuda Industrial Union goes under resolution, according to the Bermuda Post Office.

However, the BIU responded in a statement that the union was “not aware of an industrial dispute at the Southampton Post Office”.

The union statement said that there had been a discussion ongoing between the union and the postmaster general on the redeployment of postal staff.

According to the BIU, these discussions have “no effect on the situation at the Southampton Post Office”.

The union statement said that the labour group was aware that one of the two postal staff at the office had retired in mis-October, and that the postmaster general would have been aware of this under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

“We have always been willing to take these discussions further,” the statement continued.

“However, on October 19, 2015, the postmaster general referred the ‘redeployment’ matter to the Department of Workforce Development. We believe this to be a separate issue to the current situation of the Southampton Post Office.

“The Bermuda public should be aware that heads of Government departments were asked to cut expenditures by 5 per cent because of budgetary restraints. However, the postmaster general cut expenditures by 30 per cent, which has caused other problems in the department.

“The BIU looks forward to meeting with the postmaster general so that this matter can be resolved to the satisfaction of all concerned.”

There will be no postal delivery for routes SN01 and SN02 while the matter is before the Department of Workforce Development, and residents are advised to collect their mail directly from the Southampton Post Office.

The Bermuda Post Office apologised for the inconvenience, with a spokesman adding that the service is working to resolve the matter “fairly and quickly”.